Still Waters Run Deep
by Terry Gibbs
Summary: The team is called to Stillwater on a case, where they must face their past in more ways than one
1. Chapter 1

Chp. 1

Katherine Patterson sat in her minivan, just one of several dozen parents waiting pickup their children from Todd Lewis Elementary. The man for whom the school was named had been killed during the first gulf war. Katherine reflected on her life as she waited for her son, seven year old Timothy, to come out of the school building. Katherine hadn't always lived in Stillwater. She'd once had a complete different life from the one she lived now, been a completely different person. But then everything had changed and she changed with it. Now, her life was her husband and son. And though she missed old friends, she wouldn't have it any other way. A bell rang, bringing her back to the present and children poured out of the school. Katherine watched the throng as it ebbed and flowed, slowly shrinking. Thirty minutes passed and there were still small knots of children, but as far as could see her son was nowhere to be seen. Fighting growing panic, she pulled out of line and drove to the parking lot, quickly finding a space. Then she grabbed her purse and went inside the school. Katherine made a beeline for her son's class room and found his teacher still there. The woman looked up when Kathy came in. "Mrs. Patterson, did Terry forget something?" the teacher asked smiling.

"Um, no, Ms. Everett, he uh… He…. I didn't see him. I thought he was here with you." Kathy stuttered, fighting her growing panic.

The teacher stood quickly and went to the intercom. "Grace, this is Melissa Everett, in the kindergarten class. I need you to initiate code Adam please."

Only then did Katherine let the panic over take her.

000

The Stillwater PD cruiser was doing 80 mph when the chief of police bothered to look at the speedometer. Deputy Tom Patterson was at the wheel and didn't show any signs of slowing down. The elementary school came into view on their left and only then did Tom hit the breaks. The car slowed to 50 mph, but the rear wheels still skewed when he took a turn. As they reached the front entrance, Tom slammed the parking break on and was out of the car before it even stopped. Kathy heard the car screech to a stop and ran outside, thankful that it was her husband. "Tommy!" She cried, running to him. He opened his arms and hugged her.

"It's alright, Kate. We'll find him."

"We should call them." She said through her tears.

"Alright. Call who and why'd you call her Kate?"

Tom looked at his boss. "Because her real name is Caitlin Todd-Dinozzo. Mine's Anthony Dinozzo. And she wants me to call the agency we used to work for, NCIS."

000

Ohh, Tony and Kate in Stillwater! The plot thickens and it's just the first chapter! Review please.


	2. Choices

A/N: Thanks for reviews! Glad you all liked it. Here's chapter two.

Chp. 2

Terry sat at the bar in The Ugly Mug, a D.C. bar and Grill not far from the navy yard, having drinks with Gerald Jackson. Jackson had been Jimmy Palmers' replacement, on Terry recommendation. Prior to joining the agency, Gerald had been a corpsman with navy seal team 6, and his team had run joint ops with Delta, specifically Terry's team. On at least two of those occasions, Gerald had managed to keep Terry from bleeding to death and the two formed a life long friendship. So, when the former seal called him and explained that his fiancée wanted him to leave the navy, could he get him a government job, pretty please? Terry spoke to his mother and vouched for Gerald and he was hired without so much as an interview.

"So, how're Julia and Marcus?" Terry asked. Marcus was Gerald and Julia's 14-month-old son.

Gerald grinned broadly at the mention of his son. "Man, I thought crawling was bad." He said, laughing and shaking his head. "Little man just started walking and he wears me out! I haven't been this tired since hell week."

Terry smiled in agreement. "We're gettin' old, bro."

"What about you and Ziva?" Gerald asked.

"We're good. Collin's in first grade and Kelly started pre-K. I found Ziva looking at baby pictures the other day, bawling her eyes out. I asked her what was wrong and she got all blubbery and started going on about how they're growing up too fast."

"Just wait till you have to walk her down the isle."

"Don't remind me." Terry said, taking another pull from his beer. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He retrieved the phone and saw his mother's number on the caller i.d. "sorry dude, work." He said, holding up the phone.

Gerald nodded. "It's cool."

"Gibbs. Speak."

"I need you back here. Now." Jenny said.

"Where is here?" he asked.

"Headquarters." She said, and the line went dead.

Terry flipped his phone shut and stood up. "Sorry, bro, duty calls."

Gerald nodded and stood. "Understand. See you later." He said and the two men shook hands.

Terry left the bar and wondered what important person had died, as that was the only reason he could think of for his mother to call him back to the office. But if he knew the truth, he never would have answered the phone.

000

Terry rubbed his goatee in thought and stared at the lights of the Navy Yard. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't that he didn't believe it. It was that he didn't _want _to believe it. Oh, he knew why it had happened. He'd heard the story. Knew about Ari and Kate. Knew about Tony and Kate. But that didn't justify what Tony had done. "Terry, say something." Ziva said.

"What do you want me to say, Zee? That we owe him, after what he did to us? We don't owe him…" He started, but Gibbs shot him a look.

"He's still Tony!" Abby said, sharply. "And Kate..." She bit back a sob. "They need us, and I don't care if you can see that or not. You didn't go after the man who shot Tony. You went after him for you." And with that she turned and left. McGee simply looked at him, and followed his wife out.

Ducky looked at him next. "Whatever choice you make, Terry, I know it'll be the right one."

Gibbs spoke last. "Tony and Kate need us; and we're going, with or without you." Gibbs said. He left, and mother and son were faced with uncomfortable silence.

She finally said it. "Tony's not the only reason you don't want to go, is he?"

Terry stood motionless for a long minute, then shook his head. "No, but I'm not going for him or for Jack. I'm going for the kid." Terry said, and with those words, he left the office; determined to face the unknown and the past, come what may.

000

Kate sat in the police station, surrounded by her husbands fellow officers and wondered if they'd made the right decision. She wondered what the team would say, after everything they'd been through, with her death and Tony's. She knew about Ziva and Terry, and she didn't know if she wanted face the team. "Hi, kate." A voice said, bringing her back to the present.

"Hey, Jack. Good to see you. Thanks for coming."

The older Gibbs smiled. "Any friend of Leroy's is a friend of mine. How're you doing?"

Kate bit her lip and looked away. "I just want him home. And…and I don't think we made the right decision to call them."

Jackson Gibbs squeezed her hand. "Kate, whatever your past with them, I know they'll put that on the back burner and help you find Timothy."

She reached over and hugged him. "Thanks, Jack. For everything."

"Anytime, Kate."

000

Three hours into the trip, Terry and Gibbs were the only ones awake. Neither man spoke. There wasn't anything to say really. But finally Gibbs broke the silence.

"You good?"

Terry turned away from the window and looked at him father. "I'll get the job done, just don't expect me to like the working conditions."

And the two lapsed into silence, like so many other warriors before battle. Because that's what this was, in the end. It was a battle, in more ways than one.


	3. Conflict

Chp. 3

The car and MCRT van from NCIS mingled with the Stillwater PD cruisers and ambulances. Gibbs was out of the car first, followed by Ziva, McGee and Abby. Terry had offered to drive the van and Ducky rode with him. The older man turned and looked at him. He was pale. "You ok, Terry?"

Terry chuckled, sighed and rubbed his face with one hand, shaking his head. "No, Duck. No, I'm not. Piece of advice, you keep him away from me." Terry said. With that simple, yet ominous, statement Terry got out of the truck. Ducky shook his head. It was going to be a long case.

000

Terry walked to a tent he assumed to be the command center. He hoped he could avoid his grandfather, Tony and Kate, in that order. He had nothing against the woman. Her kid was missing. And he didn't have a past with her. He found a coffee pot and grabbed a Styrofoam cup. "You NCIS?" a voice asked.

He turned. The man was dressed in a sheriff's uniform shirt and dark brown pants. "I am. You are?"

"Oh, excuse me, where are my manners. Sheriff Ed Gantry, Stillwater PD." The man said, extending his hand.

"Terry Gibbs."

The sheriff's eyebrows shot up. "Leroy's boy?"

"How'd you guess?" Terry asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You look like him. A..a younger version, I mean."

Terry shrugged. "I've been called worse."

"What can I do for you?"

"Kid's missing. I'm here to help find him. Where was he last seen?"

The sheriff nodded and turned to another deputy. "Andre Hawkins, meet special agent Terry Gibbs of NCIS. He's here to help find Tom's boy. I want you to show him what we found and give him any assistance he might need."

"Will do, Sheriff. This way, agent Gibbs."

000

"OHMYGODOHMYGODKATEIT'SREALLYYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Abby squealed, running to her friend when she saw her.

The two women embraced and cried. Tony stood to one side and faced his former boss, girlfriend and co-worker awkwardly. Ducky was the first to step break the stilted silence. "Hello, Anthony, its wonderful to see you again. Though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Tony smiled. "Me too, Ducky. Thanks for coming."

McGee came next and the two men stood awkwardly for a second before hugging each other. No words were exchanged; they would come later.

Then he turned to Gibbs. "Good to see you, Boss."

Gibbs didn't say anything. He just stepped forward and hugged his former senior agent. After a minute he let go and smiled. "Good to see you, too, Dinozzo. I heard you lost someone important. What'd you say we go find him?"

"Sure thing, boss. This way. By the way, is he here?"

Gibbs started to say something, but Ziva, who'd been silent till now, cut him off. "Yes, Tony, 'he' is here," she said, giving him a look that would melt ice. "And my advice to you would be to avoid him."

As if on cue, the group turned and saw one of the deputies, followed by a man dressed in jeans, boots and an NCIS windbreaker.

"Who's he?" Kate asked, indicating the man who'd just disappeared behind a vehicle.

Gibbs turned to her. "His name's Terry. He's my son."

"What was he before he joined the agency?" She asked. Her tone made it clear that if Terry couldn't help find her son, she didn't want him here, Gibbs son or not.

This time Tony spoke. "He was Delta Force." Then he looked away. "And he's a very scary man."

000

Terry followed Deputy Hawkins to the rear of the school and through the police tape. The deputy led him to a secluded area behind some bushes just outside the building. It was large enough for a grown man and child to enter. "We found some blood here and signs of a struggle, but not much else." Hawkins said nervously. His nervousness was on account of the fact Terry wore an 'I really-really want to kill someone, slowly,' expression on his face.

"Well, I'll uh…I'll be around if you need anything, agent Gibbs."

Terry turned to the younger man and his face softened just a little. "Thanks, deputy."

000

Jackson Gibbs stopped his car just beyond the police barricade and sat for a moment, collecting himself. He hadn't seen his son in about six months. Three years ago, he'd learned about Sam, his new grandson and he and Leroy, as Gibbs was known to him, repaired their relationship. But Terry was a different story. Jackson hadn't spoken to his grandson in almost twenty years and he expected the meeting wouldn't go well. He also knew that Tom and Kathy Patterson were really Tony and Kate Dinozzo. Jackson feared what Terry would do and that was why he'd come. That, and the fact that he cared about Tony, Kate and Timmy Dinozzo.

He got out of the car and went to the command tent, predicting he would find his son and his team. Entering the tent, he laughed when he saw Jethro by the coffee pot. _I should have known. _

"Leroy, good to see you."

Gibbs turned. "Jack, you too. How are you?"

The elder Gibbs smiled. Things were definitely better between them. "I'm good. How're Jenny and Sam?"

"They're good. They miss you."

"Maybe I'll drop in for a visit."

"You should. We'd love to have you."

"Is junior with you?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, he is."

"He know the truth?"

"Yeah, he knows."

"I take it he wasn't happy about it."

This time Gibbs fixed his father with a glare. "What do you think Jack?"

Jackson looked away. "I'm guessing he was pretty unhappy."

Gibbs nodded. "Well, that's the understatement of the century."

000

Terry had gone over the scene for no less than three hours and now sat in an interview room with Tony. He'd fed deputy Hawkins some BS about needing to rule out suspects and the man bought it hook, line and sinker. Now, Tony sat it the room's single chair and Terry leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. They'd been in there for close to an hour and so far, Terry hadn't uttered one word. He left his .45 with Deputy Hawkins, but he'd kept his backup, a charter arms bulldog .44 special.

Tony, for his part, was afraid. Though, he'd suspected this would come he'd hope Gibbs would be the one interrogate him or at least McGee. Anyone but Terry. Well, scratch that, anyone but Terry or Ziva. A part of him wondered why they'd even come if they were still angry with him. Suddenly, Terry shoved off from the wall and moved toward him. "Why you do it?"

"Do..what?" Tony asked. His voice was horse and weak.

"You got tired of playing daddy and small town sheriff, so you dragged your son out behind his school and you…" Terry stopped and let the sentence hang, unfinished.

Tony was already shaking his head when Terry started speaking. Now he looked aghast. "No…no..you've got it all wrong. I wouldn't hurt Timmy. I.." But Tony never got the chance to finish. In one move, Terry grabbed him, shoved him against the wall and put his revolver to Tony's head. The _click _of the hammer being cocked was loud in the small room. "Now," Terry said, voice low and menacing. "That's the last lie I wanna hear from you; or so help me God, you will die and you will _stay _dead this time."


	4. Message Recieved

A/N: Sorry I didn't put this in the first chapter, but sadly I don't own NCIS. If I did, Jenny would still be alive. Also, possible spoilers for Twilight, kill Ari parts 1 & 2.

Chp. 4

Sweat formed on Tony's forehead as he stared down the barrel of Terry's revolver. He genuinely believed the man would kill him and he couldn't say he blamed him. Not after what he'd done to Terry and the team. Now all he had to do was give Gibbs and the team time to find them and talk Terry out of killing him. But he doubted Gibbs would do any talking. "You want me dead?"

Terry stared at him for a long minute, before he lowered the hammer and backed away. "Yeah, I do. But I'm not going to lose the life I have just to see you six feet under. Besides, you might be a prick, but you wouldn't kill your own child."

Tony was silent for along time after that. He just stared at Terry, wondering if the man was crazy or just a bastard. After all, that was what the second B in Gibbs stood for, wasn't it. But then, if Terry truly was a complete bastard why was he here? But Tony's questions went unanswered.

000

Jack stayed with Kate while the rest of the team checked the scene. She wished Tony could be with her, but the sheriff had told her that he was being questioned by NCIS. This did little to settle her nerves, as why would her, _their_ friends believe Tony could hurt anyone, much less his own son. The one who worried her the most was Terry. She knew he was Gibbs son and therefore she should trust him. But something about him just made her nervous. It was the vibe he gave off; it was just wrong. She felt the same way about Ziva. Obviously, the woman was her replacement, and she was involved with Terry. Kate remembered what Tony had said about Terry and she shuddered involuntary at said memory. Jack noticed and turned to her.

"You alright, Kate?"

"What's he like, Jack?"

"To whom are you referring?"

She gave the elder Gibbs a pointed stare. "You know who, Jack. My son is missing. I want to know if he's here to help or for something else."

Now it was Jack's turn to give Kate a pointed look. "Rest assured, Terry will do whatever it takes to get little Timmy back to you. He has a soft spot for young folks." Jack said, but then looked away.

Kate noticed his change in tone and expression. "Something happened here, didn't it. To him, I mean."

Jack didn't look at her this time. "Be very careful, Kate. Some doors are meant to stay closed, and that's one of them."

She decided it was best to change the subject, as the issue was obviously painful for the older man. But she hadn't intended to hurt him, she'd only been, perhaps selfishly, trying to keep her mind off whatever her son was going through. An awkward silence settled between them. Jack sipped his coffee and Kate listened to the sound of her own breathing growing louder by the second.

"So, what's he like?" Kate asked, because she had to say something. Silence was the last think she needed right now.

"To tell you the truth, Kate, I don't really know what Terry's like; anymore, anyway. We haven't spoken in close to twenty years."

000

Gibbs was going over the scene with Ziva, McGee, Abby and Ducky. He worked in silence. He cared about Kate and Dinozzo, but his focus was on the child who was missing. The personal stuff would come later.

Abby didn't know what to think. She'd spent the last seven and a half years believing Kate, her best friend, was dead. She didn't hold Kate faking her own death against her. At the time, Ari Haswari had been after her and she probably hadn't seen any other options. Now, all of a sudden, not only Kate, but Tony as well were still alive. And they had a child. It was a lot to take in. for the moment, Abby just wanted to get her friends child back to them.

McGee's head was spinning. When he tried to think about their current situation, even he couldn't rap his head around it. But then, maybe he could. If a madman had forced the woman he loved to go underground, he would've faked his own death and gone right with her, no questions asked.

Ziva was angry. Sure, she'd blamed Terry right along with everyone else, but she got over it. And she'd nearly lost Terry when he'd tracked Tony's 'killer'. When she thought about it, even with all she and Terry had endured, she wouldn't do anything differently. She had a husband she loved, a son and daughter she adored and a life she would die to protect. Then Tony had to screw everything up and come back from the dead.

Ducky, for his part, was just happy that Tony and Kate were still alive. He'd save the blame and ill will for everyone else. There was enough of that to go around.

Gibbs suddenly stood up and started to leave. Ziva turned. "Where are you going?"

Gibbs never broke stride, never turned around. "Look for your husband."

000

"So…Ari's dead. And you killed him?" Tony asked for the third time, still not sure if he believed the former Special Forces soldier.

"Yeah, he kidnapped Collin and Ziva. I called my guys, we found them, busted in and I shot Ari in the head. Anymore questions?"

"How's Ziva? Is she…is she, ok?"

Terry started to answer, but the door opened before he could. "Yeah, she is, Dinozzo. No thanks to you." Gibbs said, entering the room. He looked at Terry.

"You, outside, now."

Terry followed his father out of the room. "Look, boss, I know what you're going to say and…"

In a flash, Gibbs had Terry against the wall and was inches from his son's face. "Get this through your head. This is not about you and Tony. This is about a missing child the same age as your son and your brother. See that you don't forget that. Message ends." Gibbs let go of Terry went back into the interrogation room.

_Message Received. _Terry thought, scowling.


	5. Found

A/N: the Tim referenced in the chapter is Kate and Tony's son, just in case anyone is confused.

Chp. 5

Terry left the station and walked to the MCRT van. He retrieved his Blackhawk tactical vest and HK 416 carbine. "That's an awful lot of fire power for one missing child." Ducky said, walking over as Terry checked his gear.

"Lions, tigers and bears, Duck." Terry said as he slung the rifle across his chest and started out.

"And what should I tell Jethro when he asks where you are?" Ducky yelled at Terry's retreating form.

"Channel 2!" Terry yelled back, holding up his radio but not stopping.

000

Terry carried his rifle in low ready position and scanned the area in front of him, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, his hip beeped. He stopped, unclipped the his sat phone with a curt, "Gibbs," as a slight drizzle began falling. _Great, this better be good. _

"_Daddy?"_

Terry smiled and checked his watch. 2045. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed, princess?"

"_Dad-dy! I had to call and tell you goodnight!" Kelly said, with all seriousness._

"Well, that's nice, honey. Did you have a good day at school?" Terry asked, and suddenly stopped. He heard a twig snapped, to his left. But kept talking and listened for more ambient noise.

"_Uh-huh. I painted you a picture!" the child said proudly._

"Did you paint one for mommy too? We don't want her to find out I'm you're favorite, kiddo. Then I'll be in the doghouse!"

"_Dad-dy! I don't have favourites! Except for grandma and grandpa."_

Terry sighed dramatically. "Oh, fine. I suppose I can live with that. Hey, put you're brother on ok? Love you, kid."

"_Love you more! Collin! Daddy's on the phone." _

Terry laughed to himself as his daughter ran to find her brother; and he heard another twig snap.

"_Hey, dad! Did you find the boy yet?" Collin asked, coming to the phone._

"No, not yet, bud. But we will. Did you have a good day at school?"

"_Yeah, we played soccer in gym, and I scored two goals!"_

Terry smiled at the pride in his son's voice. "That's great, buddy! Listen, I have to go, but call your mom and tell her good night, ok? Love you, kid."

"_Love you more. Goodnight dad."_

"Good night, Collin." Terry said, and killed the connection. He looked in the direction where the twigs snapping had come from. He reached into the day pack on the back of his vest and removed a small bag of trail mix. He found a tree and sat down, leaning his rifle against it. He ate slowly, and watched the trees. Five long minutes passed before he heard rustling in front of him. But he didn't reach for his rifle or draw his sidearm. Another minute passed before a small child emerged from the woods. Terry recognized Timothy Dinozzo from the missing child posters and held out the bag of trail mix to the boy. The child took two tentative steps, but said nothing. Terry smiled, in an effort to put the boy at ease. "It's ok, Tim. I'm from NCIS."

Tim's face brightened and he came over the where Terry was sitting. His stomach growled and Terry grinned. "Hungry?" Tim nodded. Terry handed him the bag of trail mix and boy devoured it like he hadn't seen food for sometime.

Terry laughed. "Slow down there, partner. Gibbs'll have my head if you get sick."

Tim's eyes widened at the mention of Gibbs. It was a name he knew well. "You know Gibbs!!"

"Yeah, he's my dad."

At this revelation, Tim's eyes went so wide Terry thought they would pop out of his head. "Are you here to take me home? Can you make sure the bad man won't get us?" Tim asked, his voice suddenly low.

"Yeah, I'll take you home. Who's the bad man, Tim?" Terry said as he stood up and they started back to Stillwater. Terry's grip unconsciously tightened on his rifle.

"I can't tell." Tim said, stopping suddenly as tears started to fall down his face. Terry stopped and knelt in front of his young charge, hugging him. "Tim, I want you to understand something, ok? I won't let anyone hurt you. Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Ziva won't let anyone hurt you."

Tim pulled back and looked at the man who'd saved him. "You know them, too?" Tim said, awe in his voice. Apparently, Dinozzo had filled the kid's head with stories. _Great, Terry thought, hero worship. Just what I need._

But Timothy Dinozzo wasn't the only reason Terry had come to Stillwater and now that'd he'd been found, Terry was forced to faced something he'd been trying to forget for the last twenty years.

The truth about his sister's murder.

000


	6. Skeletons

Chp. 6

The reunion between parents and child was sweet behold, even from a distance. Terry found a female deputy as he neared the command post and handed her Timmy. He asked her to deliver the boy to Gibbs. Tim wondered why his new friend was leaving, but he suspected it had something to do with his father. Even at seven years old, he was wise to the ways of Tony Dinozzo. Tim knew that his dad wasn't a bad person, he just didn't think sometimes and he hurt other people because of it. But all this was forgotten the moment Tim saw his parents.

"Mommy!" He yelled, running to Kate, who knelt quickly and picked him up.

"Timmy! Oh, baby, we were so worried! What happened?"

"Mr. Jacobs was hiding in the bushes and he grabbed me. Then he took me to a house. It wasn't his house and there was this man there and he talked nice but his eyes were scary. I tried to get away…." Tim said, his voice breaking. Kate and Tony hugged their son and comforted him.

"Did the man with the mean eyes hurt you, Tim?" Gibbs asked, from where he stood.

Tim shook his head, "They locked me in a room and when I heard them leave, I kicked out a window and ran into the woods. Then your son found me."

"My son?" Gibbs asked, surprised.

Tim nodded. "Yeah," Tim looked away. "But he seemed sad, like he didn't want to be here."

Kate spoke up. "Ok, buddy. I think its time to get you home and in bed."

"Come by, boss?" Tony asked, and the expression on his face looked like he meant it.

"Sure, Dinozzo, later." He said, and Kate, Tony and young Tim took their leave.

Ziva turned to Gibbs when the little family was out of earshot. "Where is my husband, Gibbs?"

"No idea, Ziva." He said and started to walk away.

"Bull!" She yelled at his retreating form, fire in her eyes, stopping Gibbs in his tracks. He turned and gave his daughter-in-law his patent stare. But to her credit, she pressed on undeterred.

"I have seen the two of you," she gestured to Gibbs and Jackson, "all night. You look as though something happened and it has nothing to do with Tony. I thought Terry's reason for not wanting to come was because of what Tony did. But I believe that was only part of it. Some else happened here, to all of you." She finished, her face softening.

Gibbs scowled, turned and walked away. Ducky, who'd remained silent, watched his friend walk away and decided to follow him. "You really wanna know what happened here?" Jackson asked. The little group was now silent. Abby and McGee had just been trying to take everything in and Ziva was only concerned with making sure Terry didn't kill Tony. Tony had told her what Terry had done to him in interrogation and even though she felt he deserved it, she apologized for her husband.

Slowly, all three nodded. Jack sighed and looked at them. "Come on, we'll go to my shop."

000

Terry dismantled his rifle and put it in his rucksack. Then he found Jack's shop and broke in through. He knew he only had a limited time until the team found him, so he worked fast. The last time he'd been in Stillwater, Jack's hardware store had carried weapons, ammo and other hunting and camping gear, along with everything else you'd find in any hardware store. Terry hoped nothing had changed in the past twenty years and smiled when he entered the main sales floor. He found a rucksack similar to his own, but larger and decided to take it. He also grabbed a camping shovel, tiger striped camos, five boxes of extra .45, ammunition and then he noticed several rifles and shotguns on the back wall. He walked over to them and examined them closer. Smiling when he found a Remington 700 bolt action in .308 caliber with a ten power leupold scope, he decided to take the weapon. He also took five extra magazines each for his M-4 and pistol. They were empty, but he'd make time to fill them. Then he collected his gear and left through back. Next, he located a motel outside of town and checked in. Last he slept.

000

Jackson unlocked the front door of the hardware store and entered, the team following him. He eyes were drawn to the broken glass and other evidence that someone had been here without his knowledge, most likely his grandson. "That's husband of yours; he doesn't miss much does he?" He asked Ziva, and she smiled sadly.

Abby was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "What happened to him?" She had tears in her eyes. McGee hugged his wife, because he didn't know what else to do.

"You'd better sit down; follow me; I'll make some coffee." Jack said, ignoring the mess and going to the back of the store. The group followed him, because they wanted answers and because they didn't know what else to do.

They found chairs and sat around a table in the back room as Jack returned with four cups of coffee and they all smiled. The coffee thing was obviously a Gibbs trait as it spanned three generations of Gibbs men. The old man smiled by way of apology. "Sorry; its' instant."

"That's fine, Jack." Ziva said, her tone polite but with a hint of 'just get on with it' thrown in for good measure.

Jack sat and composed himself before speaking. The only sound was the ticking on the clock on the wall. Finally, Jack spoke. "Fifteen years ago, Jethro, Jenny and the kids came for a visit. It was memorial day, as I recall. Anyway, they stayed for a week afterward and one night, Jenny decides she wants to go on a date. Jethro, being a good marine, obliged her. I watching Kelly and Terry went out with some friends he'd made here on past visits. I kept the store open later in those days, and I left Kelly in this room with her toys and coloring books and whatnot while I was out front. In way, I only left her for fifteen minutes at a time. I came back once and she wasn't here. I thought she was hiding." Jack smiled, and chuckled at memories of happier times.

"She loved hide and go peek, as she called it. But the back door was open. I went to it, checked all around the back of the store and when I didn't find her…I…I called the sheriff." He said, his voice faltering. Abby's eyes were watering, McGee looked lost, and Ziva was fighting to control her emotions. Parenthood had changed her.

A tear rolled down Jack's face. He swallowed and forced himself to continue. "Her body was found ten days later, beaten, raped and mutilated."

Ziva shook her and bit her lip. Abby was crying and McGee held her. "That's awful." Ziva said.

Jack shook his head. "You haven't seen awful, Ziva. Terry was the one who found her body."

The shock was evident on their faces. "It went downhill from there. Her funeral was ten days later. I made the utterly despicable choice of bringing a woman I was seeing to the funeral and Terry took offense." Jack didn't try to defend his actions because he knew he'd get no sympathy from these people. Not that he deserved it.

"What did Terry do?" Ziva asked, wiping her eyes. Abby and McGee managed to compose themselves once again.

Jack sighed and lowered his head, evidently ashamed of what he'd done. "When we walked in, Terry was the first to see us and he made a beeline for us. He punched me in the jaw so hard I dropped to the floor. He dragged me out of the church, dislocating my shoulder in the process, then he told me if he ever saw me again he'd kill me. Then he told my date to get lost and stay lost." Jack finished and took a sip of his coffee.

The old man shook his head and tears ran down his face. "So, I'm responsible for making my grandson the man he is to day." He shook his head again and stood up.

"He could have been anything he wanted, but after that, he never wanted to be anything but a soldier. Jenny and Jethro didn't want that for him, but he didn't care. You know the rest." He said, sitting down again.

000

Jethro and Ducky sat in the small café in the center of town, Gibbs drinking coffee and Ducky absorbing what his friend had just told him. Finally the older man shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Jethro. So very sorry."

Gibbs nodded his thanks. "So am I, Duck. So am I."


	7. Meetings

Chp. 7

The hours past slowly for Kaitlyn Todd-Dinozzo as she watched her son sleep. She knew about Tony's time at NCIS following her absence and about his relationship with Ziva David. But she knew he'd ended the relationship when she'd contacted him. She smiled at the memory.

000

_Tony sat in a rear booth of an out of the way dinner, waiting for Kate to show up. He couldn't believe she was still alive. He wouldn't believe it until he saw her for himself. He felt sick. The woman he loved and his child with her had been out there, alone, for two years. Memories of his father and horrible childhood filled him, but he forced them back and took another sip of coffee. A thousand questions and worries filled him. Was Kate in trouble? Why had she waited so long to contact him? Had Ari found them? Had she married? Was she over him? Did he have a son or a daughter…. _

_The bell above the door dinged loudly and Tony jumped, his mind once again firmly in the present. He saw Kate, only she wasn't exactly Kate. Her hair was dirty blond and cut short. Kinda cute, or so he thought. But the child in her arms caught his attention and held it. He looked around two years old, with brown hair and hazel eyes. _

_The child stole glances at the man in the booth and then when caught the man looking at him, he buried his head in his mother's neck. He knew the man wasn't dangerous from what his mother had told him, but he still wondered if the man would like him. _

"_Hi, Kathy." Tony said, as she sat down with the child still in her arms. Kathy was the name she'd used in their e-mails back and forth. _

_To his surprise, she smiled as well, as if they were just meeting for the first time, like a blind date. "Hi, Tom." Tom was his cover name._

_They sat in the awkward heavy silence brought on by people who have a lot to say and no way to say it. Finally Tony decided to just throw it out there. The worst thing she could do was get up and leave. "Who's your friend?" _

_Kate smiled again. "This is Timothy. Timmy, this is my friend Tom. You remember the one I told you about? Can you say hi?" Kate asked. _

_Tony could detect a pleading tone in Kate's voice, like she really wanted them to like each other. He met her eyes while the child thought over his mother's request and they were both amazed that they were still able to communicate without words, even after all this time. _

_Is he mine? Tony asked silently. _

_And Kate's eyes said it all. He's too important to me. I wouldn't be here if he wasn't. _

_Tony watched as Timothy slowly extricated himself from Kate, turned and looked at him and said brightly. "Hi, I'm Tim," as if Tony didn't already know that._

_Tony felt a lump growing in his throat. He swallowed to force it back down and swallowed again so he could speak. "Hi, Tim. I'm Tom. It's good to meet you."_

000

Kate was brought back to the present when she heard footsteps behind her. She smiled but didn't turn around. Tony buried his face in her neck and hair and kissed her. "Hey, you." He mumbled into her hair.

"Hey, yourself." She said, turning around. She saw a look of concern on her husband's face that she knew well. "What's wrong?"

Tony sighed. "We almost lost our son today and our team probably hates me right now. I don't know what makes me feel worse."

Inwardly, Kate sighed. She hated when Tony was like this. She was just glad he no longer internalized his pain. "First, you had nothing to do with our son disappearing and the team will get over it."

Tony looked away. "Most of them." He said, turning to go the master bedroom.

Kate followed him; she wasn't going to let him deflect him. "What makes Terry so scary? Just because he served in Delta for a few years?"

Tony turned to face her. He was undressing in their bathroom. "It's more than that. I heard some whispers through the grapevine about what he went through. He was shot on the day of my 'funeral' and instead of staying in the hospital, he choked McGee and escaped. He found the man who shot me ten hours later." Tony didn't have to tell her what Terry did.

Kate shook her head. "Those Delta guys are super human. Did he know your death was faked? The metal plate in your head that deflected the bullet?"

Tony reached in and turned on the shower. "No. Join me?" He asked.

She smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."

000


	8. Answers, part 1

A/N: sorry I haven't updated in forever. I plan to update Wednesday or Thursday though. Then I'll finish the story over Christmas break. Thanks for reading and there are spoilers for Heartland in this chapter.

Chp. 8

Terry roused himself after three hours and checked his watch; 0315, or three fifteen in the morning in civilian speak. He rolled off the bed and pulled on his tiger striped camos and combat boots. Then he filled the extra magazines he'd taken from Jack's Hardware store. After that, he dropped his pack and rifle out the back window and followed them. Then he moved off into the woods in the direction of the Winslow estate. Personally, he couldn't think of a legitimate reason for all the gear, as Chuck Winslow's security had sucked twenty years ago and would most likely suck now. And in the end, Terry had no intention of using a gun to kill his target. No, guns were too good for this bastard. As he moved through the words, he heard tires screech to a stop behind him, in the motel's parking lot and smiled to himself. _Always one step behind, aren't you. _He had no doubt it was his father, wife, McGee and Abby. As he moved away from the motel, Terry wondered if Tony was with them, but then decided the ungrateful little pud wouldn't stick his neck out, not for him. No, Tony was home safe with his wife and kid. Oh, well, at least their kid was safe. Whatever Terry thought about Dinozzo, he wouldn't blame the boy for his father's ineptitude.

000

Gibbs was out of the car almost before it came to a stop, with McGee, Ziva and Abby close behind. He entered the main officer and the attendant looked up. "Help you?" the man asked, but the word 'you' sounded like 'yew' on account of the man's accent.

"Have you seen this man?" Gibbs asked, holding up a picture of Terry.

The guy squinted and looked at the picture for a minute before answering. "Yeah; he's in room eight."

Ziva was already out the door, but McGee hesitated. Even after five years, Terry intimidated him at times and this was one of those times. Ziva was already in position on the left side of the door and Gibbs was on the right when Tim reached them and he took up a position behind Ziva. Gibbs mentally counted to three and kicked the door in, not stopping, but moving into the room, Ziva right behind him and McGee came last. But the room was empty. Ziva took stock of the room and noticed the open window. She fixed Gibbs with a hard stare. "Where did he go?"

Gibbs turned away and started out of the room like he hadn't heard, when Ziva grabbed his arm and repeated her question, an edge in her voice. "Where did he go?"

Gibbs hesitated for a moment, then decided it didn't matter and answered her. "Chuck Winslow's estate."

"You mean the man who was responsible for attack Ethan Lacombe?" Ziva asked, referring to a case that led the time to Stillwater several years before.

Gibbs nodded. "The very same."

"What did he do?"

Gibbs looked away. "His seventeen year old son, Mark, raped, murdered and mutilated my baby girl. I never could prove it and he protected the little son of a bitch."

"Terry's going to kill him." Ziva said, it was a statement not a question.

"Not if we get to them first." Gibbs said, as then left the room; McGee had gone to further interrogate the night clerk. "Look, Ziva, I want them dead just as much as he does, but not at the expense of my grandchildren's father and my son. I hope you can understand that."

Ziva looked at him and smiled for the first time since this case had begun. "I do, Jethro. Thank you." Ziva rarely called him by his middle name, but she did more so now that they were related.

Gibbs nodded. "Come on, we better get up there before he start's a one man war."

000

Terry lay one hundred fifty yards from the Winlows' front door, watching and waiting. He knew it was only a matter of time before his father and grandfather and the team discovered him, but all he needed was one shot, if it came to that. But if he had his choice, the former delta force operator would much prefer sneaking up on Mark Winslows' and plunging his Ka-bar into the man's brain stem. Terry smiled at the thought. Revenge had been a longtime coming for him, but it was a meal best served cold.

000


	9. Answers, part 2

Chp. 9

Terry watched as two Stillwater PD cruisers screeched to a stop in front of the Winslow estate, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Gibbs got out of the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, followed by McGee and Ziva. Lights' came on inside the house and Terry watched a man come out onto the porch. He centered the crosshairs of his Remington 700, bolt action .308 caliber sniper rifle on the man's chest and took up the trigger slack just enough, but didn't squeeze off a round. That would come later. Now was the most dangerous and tricky part of any sniper mission, collecting intelligence and establishing target patterns. But in truth, Terry preferred the waiting to a quick kill. It made revenge that much sweeter.

000

Chuck Winslow emerged from the house, pistol in hand. He knew it wasn't smart, facing the cops with a weapon, but then again, this was Stillwater. The police didn't show up at your doorstep in the middle of the night without a good reason. But then he heard a voice that he hadn't heard in four years followed by the _click, _of a hammer being cocked. A man and women rushed past him into the house, but he focused on the sig sauer pointed at his head. "Drop the gun, Chuck."

"Leroy, long time." Winslow said, laying the pistol on the porch and raising his hands.

"Why are you here?"

Gibbs gave Chuck Winslow the patent stare for a longtime before answering. Finally he said, "I'm here because my son is out there." He said, pointing to the woods. "He's here to kill you."

"Mark's dead, you know."

If Gibbs was surprised, he didn't show it. In truth, he didn't care that Mark Winslow was dead. Well…that wasn't true. A part of him was glad the little son of a bitch was worm food. But Terry wouldn't stop until both Winslow's were dead.

Gibbs only response to the question was a harsh, "So? What's your point?"

"The house is clear." Ziva said, when she and McGee returned to the porch. Gibbs only nodded in response. He was glad that Abby and Ducky had chosen to stay at Jack's. He didn't want them here for this. "Wait in the car." He said, and his two agents left without a word. Chuck turned and was about to go back in house, when Gibbs finally snapped. He grabbed Chuck by the neck and slammed his head into the door frame. Then, while Chuck Winslow was seeing stars, he proceeded to beat the man who was indirectly responsible for his daughter's death. Ziva and McGee covered the two sheriff's deputies and Terry watched the whole scene through his rifle scope, a small smile forming on his face. After five minute's Gibbs stood and staggered off the porch, sick was the rush of adrenaline. Suddenly, all heads snapped either in the direction of the woods or the porch, as the loud_ crack!, _of a rifle was heard. They saw Chuck Winslow, pistol in his hand, dead with a neat hole in the center of his forehead.

As the rest of the team picked up the pieces, Terry was already moving out. He made his way through the woods, until he was on the outskirts of Stillwater, within yards of Jackson's store. He dug a small spider hole with the camping shovel and cover it with brush. He was just falling asleep when the sun rose, a contented little smile on his face.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

One Week Later

Oak Hill Cemetery

15 miles North of Camp Lajune, North Carolina

The black ford bronco pulled into the cemetery and idled for a minute before the engine shut off. It sat in silence for a longtime, the engine popping and ticking as it cooled. Finally, Terry stepped from the vehicle and made his way to his sister grave. He carried a bouquet of red roses, Kelly favorite flower. He tenderly placed the flowers in front of the headstone, then stood at attention and saluted. "Hey, Kell-bell, I…" Terry chuckled at the absurdity of it. He hadn't used Kelly's nickname it….too long. "I'm sorry I haven't been here in…in a while." He stopped again and cleared his throat. This was harder than he thought.

"But I just wanted to tell you that I got the bastard who hurt you. I…" Terry stopped again, tears coming to his eyes. One would think you'd get over something after nearly thirty years.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, kid. I wish…I wish you could be here. I've got a beautiful wife and two of the greatest kids on this earth, one who's name after you by the way, that I wish you could meet. And Sam, he's the male version of you, smart as a whip, but can still put us all in stitches when he wants to. I forgave Jack, if you didn't know. I know that's what you would want. I'm guessing that you know what's going on down here and Tony and Kate came back to NCIS. I'm an agent now, too." Suddenly, Terry's phone rang and he answered, irritated that he'd been disturbed. "What?" He listened for a minute before saying, "Ok, I'll meet you there in an hour." Then he hung up.

"Well, duty call's. I'll see you around, kid." Terry said. Then he turned and walked back to his truck, feeling whole for the first time in a longtime.


End file.
